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‘Those Are Good Memories’: Breeder Dalos Remembers Victory Gallop’s Historic Belmont Run

Ivan Dalos, just as he has every year since 1998, will be wearing a proud smile when the horses load into the gate for Saturday's 153^rd running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

For over 40 years, he's been one of North America's most successful Thoroughbred owners and breeders, a passionate horseman with a sizable trophy case to showcase his impressive array of accolades and awards.

The number of champions Dalos has bred is a lengthy and enviable list, one that includes Victory Gallop, a colt that went on to achieve great success as a racehorse and sire, including his stirring score in the 1998 Belmont Stakes.

“It is a real trip down memory lane,” started Dalos. “I recall he was very precocious. I was just a little operation at the time and had a little farm with the mare [Victorious Lil]. I went to visit him [he was foaled and raised at Joanne Clayton's Darrowby Farms in Loretto, Ontario] when he was about four or five weeks old, and the lady kept him at the barn so that I could see them come out. They came out and they went onto this hilly pasture. This little guy, he just took off and the mare couldn't keep up with him. He was running, she was chasing him and he was not to be caught.”

Victory Gallop would eventually show that impressive turn of foot, but instead of being the one chased, he would methodically track down his rivals, one by one, until he was the one who couldn't be caught.

It's precisely what the son of Cryptoclearance did 23 years ago at Belmont Park.

And what a victory it was.

After finishing a hard-charging second to Real Quiet in the Kentucky Derby – Victory Gallop was last behind 14 horses at the half-mile pole – the bay settled for the runner-up prize to Real Quiet once again, this time in the Preakness Stakes.

In the Belmont, he went one better, denying Real Quiet the chance for Triple Crown immortality.

Victory Gallop also delivered a first that day, becoming the first Canadian-bred to win the third jewel of the U.S. Triple Crown. He is the only one to hold that distinction.

“This is a great boost for breeding in Ontario,” said Clayton at the time. “There you go folks, we can raise a champion racehorse on Ontario grass, with Ontario water and Ontario feed.”

Dalos, who has won some of Canada's biggest races and produced a long line of champions, remains modest of his connection to the Belmont champ.

“It was at the beginning of my horse-breeding experience, so I was nowhere near as experienced as I am now in recognizing talent. It's very hard to tell with young horses, to know if they will go on to greatness. I've had horses that showed absolutely nothing as babies, but they turned out to be great racehorses, and others that you felt might be good, they didn't have the heart or gumption to compete. It's hard to judge them when they are so young. But obviously, things worked out well for Victory Gallop.”

Ivan and Irene Dalos of Ontario's Tall Oaks Farm

The multiple graded stakes-winning owner isn't interested in taking a victory lap over the accomplishments of Victory Gallop, who was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2010.

Instead, what drives Dalos is in crafting the blueprint for his next stable star. He remains a student of the game, immersing himself in learning the latest techniques in the world of breeding.

It's that dedication to detail, among other things, as to why Tall Oaks Farm is still a major player in Thoroughbred racing.

The outfit's broodmare band continues to carry Victory Gallop's legacy forward. Victorious Ami, Galloping Ami, Keen Victory, Keen Mischief, Keen Success, and Silver Ami are Victory Gallop offspring. He is the grandsire of racehorse and future broodmare, Golden Ami.

Tall Oaks is also home to star stallions like Ami's Flatter, Amis Gizmo and Ami's Holiday, and champion racehorses like Channel Maker, Johnny Bear, Gamble's Ghost and Ami's Mesa.

Dalos is excited to see who might follow in their hoofsteps.

“Of course, I was proud to see Victory Gallop win the Belmont. I had never had a horse in an American Stakes at that point. I only had horses running in Canada that I had bred, but this was the first big horse, so to speak. I was immensely proud. We made history. But I try not to look back, other than what the learning experience of previous endeavors has taught me. Every horse I've been connected to has done that for me. I always try to repeat success or find more.”

Being in the position to chase the next win, he'll happily tell you, is a victory in itself.

And while he continues to be a forward thinker, Dalos will take a moment this weekend, perhaps the same time it takes to run the Belmont, to remember the handsome, high-speed colt that streaked across a hilly meadow just over 25 years ago.

“I recall watching the Belmont all those years ago and thinking, 'This is the little guy that I watched running around when he was four or five weeks of age.' I can still picture that day at the farm and then watching him win the race. Those are good memories.”

This article by Chris Lomon (@chrislomon on Twitter) originally appeared at www.woodbine.com and is republished with permission of the author.

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Thursday’s Trackside Belmont Stakes Report

ELMONT, NY – The handsome gray Knicks Go (Paynter) was among several high-profile runners spotted stretching their legs on an overcast and humid Thursday morning at beautiful Belmont Park ahead of this weekend's GI Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

The GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Mile H.-bound GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and GI Pegasus World Cup winner wrapped up his exercise just before 6 a.m.

With an on-and-off light drizzle falling throughout the morning as temperatures hovered in the low 60s, GI Preakness S. upsetter and Belmont S. second-choice Rombauer (Twirling Candy) appeared very well in the flesh during his gallop about an hour and 20 minutes later. Sporting a white bridle, he was on his toes nicely while making his way back through the scenic barn area.

Speaking of white bridles, trainer Michael McCarthy's former boss Todd Pletcher will have three chances of his own for a fourth Belmont victory with Known Agenda (Curlin), Bourbonic (Bernardini) and Overtook (Curlin), respectively.

Trainer John Sadler was in attendance as the striking Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) took a spin around Big Sandy at 7:25 a.m. and also visited the starting gate. If his bullet five-furlong breeze at Santa Anita last Friday was any indication, the previously unbeaten GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby hero figures to be on the engine following a disastrous go five weeks ago in Louisville. Hronis Racing and Sadler will also be well-represented by GISW Flagstaff (Speightstown) in Friday's GII True North S.

Photographers and media members lined up by the clubhouse turn as the blinkered Essential Quality (Tapit) entered the track by the gap. A wide-trip fourth in the Derby, his first defeat in six career attempts, last year's champion 2-year-old stood like a gentleman along the outer rail before heading to the gate for a schooling session. Just as he did at Churchill Downs during Derby week, the 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero once again subsequently ditched the Godolphin-branded shades for his gallop.

In addition to the aforementioned pair of morning-line favorites for the Met Mile and Belmont S., trainer Brad Cox's powerhouse weekend line-up also includes: 'TDN Rising Star' Caddo River (Hard Spun) (GI Woody Stephens S.); Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) (GI Ogden Phipps S.); and 'TDN Rising Star' Travel Column (Frosted) (GI Acorn S.).

With the rain picking up during the break and the main track now sealed, trainer Doug O'Neill opted to instead send GII Louisiana Derby winner and Kentucky Derby third Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) to gallop over the training track-which remained harrowed–as training hours began to wind down.

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Belmont Will Be ‘Redemption Race’ For Santa Anita Derby Winner Rock Your World

A number of Saturday's Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets contenders schooled at the starting gate and in the paddock on an overcast and drizzly Thursday morning at Belmont.

Godolphin's Champion 2-Year-Old Essential Quality visited the main track just after 7 a.m. for his routine gallop in preparation for the 1 1/2-mile test.

The son of three-time Belmont Stakes-producing sire Tapit went to the main track under trainer Brad Cox's assistant Dustin Dugas and visited the gate before a gallop over the main track.

“He's been doing great,” Cox said. “He went to the track this morning and looked great. Since shipping up here, he's done well. I don't see any issues with him.”

Essential Quality, who also schooled in the paddock later in the morning, seeks to give the prestigious worldwide racing and breeding operation their first triumph in an American Triple Crown race. The Kentucky homebred also seeks to add his name to a long list American classic-winning horses who directly descend from prestigious blue hen mare La Troienne.

Hronis Racing and Michael Talla's Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World visited the gate on the Belmont main track before galloping a mile and a half on Big Sandy. He later schooled in the Belmont paddock.

Trainer John Sadler was on hand to watch his Grade 1-winning son of Candy Ride prepare for Saturday's engagement and said the was satisfied with what he's seen.

“He looked good in the gate and galloped very well,” Sadler said.

Sadler, whose lone Belmont Stakes contender was Dave in Dixie [10th in 2010], expressed confidence in Rock Your World being able to handle the mile-and-a-half distance that awaits him.

“When you're talking about the Belmont, this is the longest that these horses will run,” Sadler said. “We think he has the action and the pedigree to go that far. Empire Maker is his damsire and he won the [2003] Belmont. He should have a lot of stamina.”

Rock Your World will seek redemption following a difficult break from the gate in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 1, where he was out of position and unable to establish his usual frontrunning tactics.

Stephanie Hronis, who operates Hronis Racing with her husband Kosta, also was on site to watch Rock Your World train. She expressed excitement in being able to watch her horse seek to make amends.

“We're calling it the redemption race for Rock Your World,” Hronis said. “He's an exceptional horse. He's got it on both sides where he can route on the dirt. The Derby was a good learning experience, but at the time it really did hurt. It was tough to see his race being over right in the first few steps from the gate. That was really tough to watch. But again, it was a good experience, and we think he has it in him.”

The owner-trainer combination have notched previous Grade 1-victories with the likes of 2018 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Accelerate, as well as Catalina Cruiser, Stellar Wind, Hard Aces, and Ollie's Candy among multiple others.

Hronis said a triumph in a Triple Crown race would mean the world to her.

“To say exceptional would be an understatement,” Hronis said “It would be such an honor to have a Triple Crown win for everyone for the barn, for both the Hronis and Talla families. We've got quite a dynamic going. [Bloodstock agent] David Ingordo is hugely responsible for horses we've had in the barn. For our entire team, it would be incredible honor to win.”

Hronis relishes the relationship that her and her husband have with Sadler and said that it goes far beyond the racetrack.

“We've adopted John. He's a part of the Hronis family and he's adopted us,” Hronis said. “It's definitely a friendship and a family that means a great deal to each of us. We see that lasting a very, very long time.”

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher's trio of Grade 1 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets trainees – Calumet Farm's Bourbonic, St. Elias Stable's Known Agenda and Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith's Overtook – all trained on Thursday at just past 6:00 a.m. ahead of their date in the “Test of the Champion” on Saturday. Both Overtook and Bourbonic schooled in the paddock later in the morning.

“They all went out this morning, galloped a mile and a half and schooled at the gate,” Pletcher said. “They're all looking well.”

Pletcher also reported that Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Martin Schwartz and CHC Inc.'s Valiance spiked a temperature and will be withdrawn from the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps.

Yuji Inaida's France Go de Ina, who breezed five-eighths in in 1:02.62 on the main track Wednesday, enjoyed a walk day and will return to his regular gallop schedule on Friday.

Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, Strauss Bros Racing and Gainesway Thoroughbreds' Hot Rod Charlie continues to thrive for trainer Doug O'Neill.

The veteran conditioner called an audible after the main track was sealed Thursday and instead sent the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby-winner to gallop over the dirt training track.

“He went to the nicely harrowed training track and we were very happy with that,” said O'Neill.

O'Neill said Hot Rod Charlie, who finished third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, will not visit the gate this week.

“He's good at the gate and hasn't had any issues. We're happy with him,” said O'Neill.

John and Diane Fradkin's Grade 1 Preakness-winner Rombauer visited the gate and galloped on the main track at 7:15 a.m. for trainer Michael McCarthy.

“It went well,” said McCarthy. “He went his usual mile and three-eighths which is what we've been doing all week long. All is good.”

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Repole: Longshot Overtook Well-Bred For Belmont’s Distance

Few active Thoroughbred owners are as synonymous with top-level success on the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit as Mike Repole, who will be represented by Overtook in Saturday's Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Overtook, a $1 million purchase from the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is owned by Repole in partnership with St. Elias Stable, Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith.

As a lifelong New Yorker and racing fan, Repole said he takes pride in having conquered some of the most prestigious races in the Empire State and beyond.

When examining his own list of accomplishments, Repole said it's not his triumphs in prestigious Grade 1 New York classics such as the Travers, Alabama, Champagne or Coaching Club American Oaks, nor is it his two Breeders' Cup victories, that stand out.

“There's a hole in my resume, and it's the Belmont Stakes,” Repole said. “I've probably said it fifteen years ago when I had just entered the game and was winning claiming races that I'd rather win the Belmont than the Kentucky Derby. And now, 15 years later, I'm still looking.”

Repole arrives at this year's Belmont Stakes with the second longest shot in a field of eight in Overtook, who breaks from the outside post at morning line odds of 20-1 under jockey Manny Franco.

Repole came close to finding his first Belmont Stakes victory in his first attempt when Stay Thirsty ran second in 2011. At the top of the stretch, the subsequent Grade 1 Travers victor made a menacing run along the rail, but was ultimately kept at bay by Ruler On Ice.

“That still goes down as the toughest loss in my life,” Repole said. “People congratulated me right after the race knowing that this was a dream and I had come so close. Now, ten years later, I haven't come close to it since. It just makes it more inspiring and motivating to one day win this race.”

Since Stay Thirsty's rallying second in the “Test of the Champion”, Repole has owned a handful of Belmont Stakes contenders, including a trio of unplaced runners in 2013, as well as his most recent Belmont starter Vino Rosso running fourth in 2018.

But like a true sportsman, Repole remains persistent in getting that Belmont Stakes win. A native of Queens, Repole grew up going to Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack and always held the Triple Crown's third jewel in highest regards.

“I've been so blessed. These are the races I went to growing up and these are the races I wanted to win,” Repole said. “I definitely feel blessed and lucky, but there's a hole in that resume and it's the Belmont Stakes. Especially, when I think about being that kid from Queens that grew up going to Aqueduct and Belmont. Now, I've had so many big wins in New York.”

Overtook was certainly bred for the 12-furlong endurance distance, being by 2007-08 Horse of the Year Curlin, sire of 2013 Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice, and is out of the Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Got Lucky. Additionally, he is a direct descendent of the immensely influential La Troienne.

All it took was one glance at Overtook's pedigree for Repole to have the Belmont Stakes in mind.

“This is one horse that I circled for a mile and a half in the Belmont in two years,” Repole said. “Curlin only lost by a nose in the Belmont and Got Lucky could run all day. We'll be a longshot, but there's no doubt that he can get the distance.”

In five career starts, Overtook's lone victory was a one-turn mile maiden triumph at third asking over the main track at Aqueduct, where he made up 10 lengths from eighth. From there, he maintained his late-closing running style with placings in the Grade 3 Withers and most recently the Grade 3 Peter Pan on May 8 at Belmont Park.

“If we get a good pace upfront, one thing you'll see is that he'll be running really hard at the end,” Repole said. “When he broke his maiden, it wasn't the distance, it was the pace that made all the difference. When he was in the Peter Pan, I thought he had a big shot, but when I saw the fractions, I knew we were in trouble.

“If they go 25 and 50 upfront, I might be walking to get my car from the valet early,” he added, with a laugh. “If I see 24 and 48 or even faster, I'll stand up immediately and watch him the whole way.”

Repole said Overtook is in good hands with his Hall of Fame trainer, a three-time Belmont Stakes-winner, and last year's winning Belmont rider Manny Franco.

“He's a horse that will need the distance and the pace, but Todd has done an amazing with him, and Manny fits this horse really, really well,” said Repole. “He's an aggressive rider and I think Overtook likes aggressive riders. He'll have to get in the game and be aggressive that last quarter of a mile. Hopefully, we'll see those blue and orange silks come flying down the stretch.”

Repole spoke high volumes of Overtook's co-owners, both of whom he has had a longstanding relationship. He owned 2019 Champion Older Horse Vino Rosso in partnership with Viola, who is the standalone owner of Belmont Stakes contender Known Agenda. Coolmore stands Uncle Mo, who was 2010 Champion 2-Year-Old and became an influential sire, producing 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist in his first crop.

“Vinnie and Teresa [Viola] and I have a lot of horses together. Vino Rosso ran fourth a few years ago and went on to do some big things,” said Repole. “If Overtook can't win, there's no one rooting harder for Known Agenda than me.”

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival runs from June 3 through Saturday, June 5, and is headlined by the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes. The festival will encompass 17 total stakes, including eight Grade 1s on Belmont Stakes Day, capped by the “Test of the Champion” for 3-year-olds in the 1 1/2-mile final leg of the Triple Crown.

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